Seven steps to save energy straight away

1. Turn your thermostat down

Many households have their central heating set higher than they need it, without even realising it. Try turning your room thermostat down by one or more degrees. Every degree that you turn it down could save you around £65 a year on your heating bill.

2. Turn lights and appliances off

Make sure you turn your lights, appliances and chargers off when you’re not using them. If you turn a light off for even a few seconds, you will save more energy than it takes the light to start up again, no matter what sort of lights you have. And nearly all electrical and electronic appliances can safely be turned off at the plug without upsetting their systems – the only exceptions are satellite and digital TV recorders which should be left plugged in so they can keep track of any programmes you want to record – but check the instructions on any appliances you aren’t sure about.

A family could save between £50 and £90 a year just by remembering to turn things off, if they don’t already do this.

3. Kitchen appliances

You can save another £40 a year just by being careful how you use your kitchen appliances:

Set your washing machine to wash at 30°C.

Only use your tumble dryer when you can’t dry your clothes outside.

Don’t fill your kettle right up every time – just boil the amount of water you need.

4. Buy an eco-shower head

If you’ve got a shower that takes hot water straight from your boiler or hot water tank (rather than an electric shower) then you may be able to fit a water-efficient shower head and cut your hot water use without noticing any difference when you shower.

A shower head will cost around £27 and a family of four will save around £75 a year on water heating and another £90 on water bills if they have a water meter.

5. Lag your hot water tank

If you have an un-insulated hot water cylinder, you could start saving now by fitting a tank jacket. Insulate any exposed hot pipework around the cylinder and around the boiler. You will save £60 a year.

6. Draught proof your home

Unless your home is very new, you’re likely to be losing some heat through draughts around doors and windows, gaps around the floor or maybe through a chimney. Draught proof your home and depending on your house you could save up to £75 a year.

7. Use energy saving lightbulbs

They last up to 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs, and using one can save you around £40 over the lifetime of the bulb. This saving could be around £65 over its lifetime if you’re replacing a high wattage incandescent bulb, or one used for more than a few hours a day.

HOMESEAL PROFESSIONAL INSULATION INSTALLERHomeseal was established in 1995 as a trading division of the Workspace Group, a social enterprise set up in 1982. We are now recognised as the leading insulation installer in Northern Ireland. read more.